Chair



(No Model.)

G. A. WATKINS;

BASE ROCKING CHAIR.

No. 326,361. Patented Sept. 15, 1885.

ii A 8o 9 M vmmssxzs:

IN VENTOR ATTORNEY UNlTE TATES .ATENT et.

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY LVIN M. GREENWVOOD, AND AMOS MOR- BASEROCKING-CHAIR.

erncrrrcarron forming part of Letters Patent No, szaaeraat Applicationfiled June 7, 1884. (No model.)

To a. whom itvnay concern:

Be it known that I, GARDNER A. WATKINS, of Gardner, Worcester county,State of Ma ssa chusetts, have invented a new and useful Im provement inBase Rocking-Chairs; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the same, reference being had tothe'acoompanying sheet of drawings, forming part ofthis specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in base rocking-chairs; and theinvention consists in a base rocking-chair with its rockers and basecombined with springs, brackets, pivoted segments, and stops, in themanner I 5 hereinafter particularlyshown, described, and

claimed. 1

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation,partly in section; and Fig. 2, an end View, partly in section.

Similar letters ofreference indicate like parts in the several figures.

This invention pertains to'that class of rocking-chairs commonly knownas base rocking chairsthat is, a chair the rockers of which bear upon abase constructed for that purpose instead of directly upon the fioor, asdo the rockers of the ordinary rockingchair.

To render more perfect in many respects and to lessen the cost ofconstruction of base 0 rocking-chairs is the purpose of this invention.All or nearly all chairs of this class are constructed with coil-springsand brackets for confining the springs to the base and rockers, andstops to limit the extent of the backward and forward rocking motion ofthe chair on its base; but in many of the details of the constructionsuch chairs havein use been found objectionable. To obviate theseobjections I construct my chair with the ordinary rockers A and base B,the rockers resting on the upper surfaces of the base.

To the inner faces of the base B are rigidly fixed brackets 0. Each ofthese brackets is provided with two projections, a, and to each 5 of therockers A are fixed brackets D, and these last-named brackets are alsoprovided with projections b. The lower part of these brackets D areprolonged until the prolongations extend somewhat below the rockingsured September 15, 1885.

face act the rockers A. To these prolongations of the brackets D arepivoted at one end, as at' f, segments E, The other ends of thesesegments are also pivoted to the base B, as at g. Each segment E isprovided with a right-angular projection, h, which projections enter 5into slots 70, formed in the inner face of'the base B. The brackets Dare located on the inner faces of the rockers. of the chair, so as tobring the pivotal joints of the segments E coincident with the pointsat'which the rockers bear upon the base when the rockers are at rest.

Extending from the bracket 0 to the bracket D, and uniting thesebrackets, are coilsprings F, one end of each spring passing over one ofthe projections a of the bracket 0, and the other end of the spring overone ofthe projections b of the bracket D. Now, when my chair isconstructed substantially in the manner described, its operation is asfollows: When the chair is rocked to and fro on its base, the springsF-yield more orless of their elastic force, and thereby prevent the toosudden or jerking motion that would follow the rocking were the springsomitted, and as the chair is rocked the ends of the segments E, whileturning or yielding somewhat on the pivots f and g, are at the same timeraised and lowered to some extent, during which the projections h onthesegments travel up and down in the slots k of the base, and whenthese projections are brought in contact with the upper and lower limitsof these slots stops are produced which prevent undue forward andbackward rocking, such 8 5 as would throw the rockers from the base; andas the chair is rocked in the manner described the pivoted segments E,or' rather their forward ends in connection with the prolongations ofthe brackets D, act as stops to prevent the rockers from workingsidewise on their base. This feature is due in some measure to the factthat the pivot f is placed exactly coincident with the point at whichthe rockers rest on the base, as before stated; but 9 5 the pivotaljoint at f in no wise interferes with the freest possible rockingmotion, for not only does this joint atf operate as an or dinary pivot,but provision is made for its continuing to act as such, notwithstandingthe shifting of the position of the pivotal joint when the chair isrocked, the movement of the pivoted segment E permitting the pivot toaccommodate itself to the change of position incident to the rocking.

In chairs of this base rocking class it is desirable that some provisionbe made to regulate the tension of the coil-springs to the weight of theoccupant, so that the rocking of the chair may not be rendered too easyor too diflicult to the user. This adjustment is accomplished in mychair by shifting the position of the springs F on the projections a andb, for, as is apparent, when the springs are vertical and at rightangles to the axis of oscillation or central point, m, their action ispracticably neutral, and the chair can be rocked with the utmost freedomon its base by the lightest user. When, however, it is desired to adaptthe chair to a user of greater weight, by simply shifting the springs Fso that they will assume a position diagonal to the axis'of oscillationm, as is shown in Fig. 1, thenthe preponderating force of the occupantwill be to some extent counteracted by the elasticity of the springs F,which, when in the position last named, are in the best position toexert their full resilient power; and by shifting the position of thesesprings so that one shall be vertical and the other diagonal or bothdiagonal or both vertical on corresponding opposite projections a and,b, or arranging the springs so that one spring shall be placedvertically forward of the axis of oscillation. as indicated at m, andthe other onthe opposite. side and in the rear of the same, or bysupplying each projection aand b with separate springs, making four inall, the chair can be made to accommodate itself to the weight of anyoccupant, and, as'is apparent, thesechanges of the positions of thesprings can be varied to an extent much greater than those aboveenumerated.

The pivotal segment E, in addition to its functions above named, actsalso as a stop to prevent the rockers from sliding backward and forwardon their base.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a baserocking-chair, the combination of the rockers A and base Bwith brackets C and D, provided with projections a and b, springs F, andsegments E, pivoted to the base B and to the brackets D, and providedwith projections h, fitting into slots k in the face of the base, allconstructed and arranged for the purpose and in the manner hereinbeforedescribed.

2. In a base rocking'chair having the rockers A and base B,thecombination, with said rockers, of brackets D,and the segments E,pivotedto the base and to the brackets D at or near the axis-ofoscillation m of the rockers on the base, substantially as described.

3. In a base rocking-chair having the rockers A and base B, brackets Cand D, each of said brackets having two projections, a a and b b,respectively, combined with a single coilspring, F, for each pair ofsaid brackets, rcmovably attached to the projections, whereby saidspring may be adj listed on different pairs of said projections, for thepurpose set forth.

4. In a base rocking-chair having the .rock ers A and base B, combinedwith segments E, pivoted to said base and to brackets D on the rocker,the said segments having projections h toengage slots k in the base,substantially 8c as and for the purpose set forth.

GARDNER A. WATKINS.

IVitnesses;

CALVIN H. HILL, JOSEPH W. HYDE.

